Diode | Working Principle and Types of Diode
What is a Diode?
A diode is a device which only allows unidirectional flow of current if operated within a rated
specified voltage level. A diode only blocks current in the reverse direction while the reverse
voltage is within a limited range otherwise reverse barrier breaks and the voltage at which this
breakdown occurs is called reverse breakdown voltage. The diode acts as a valve in the electronic
and electrical circuit. A P-N junction is the simplest form of the diode which behaves as ideally
short circuit when it is in forward biased and behaves as ideally open circuit when it is in the
reverse biased. Beside simple PN junction diodes, there are different types of diodes although the
fundamental principle is more or less same. So a particular arrangement of diodes can convert AC
to pulsating DC, and hence, it is sometimes also called as a rectifier. The name diode is derived
from "di-ode" which means a device having two electrodes.
Symbol of Diode
The symbol of a diode is shown below, the arrowhead points in the direction of conventional
current flow.
A simple PN junction diode can be created by doping donor impurity in one portion and acceptor
impurity in other portion of a silicon or germanium crystal block. These make a p n junction at the
middle portion of the block beside which one portion is p type (which is doped by trivalent or
acceptor impurity) and other portion is n type (which is doped by pentavalent or donor impurity).
It can also be formed by joining a p-type (intrinsic semiconductor doped with a trivalent impurity)
and n-type semiconductor (intrinsic semiconductor doped with a pentavalent impurity) together
with a special fabrication technique such that a p-n junction is formed. Hence, it is a device with
two elements, the p-type forms anode and the n-type forms the cathode. These terminals are
brought out to make the external connections.
Working Principle of Diode
The n side will have a large number of electrons and very few holes (due to thermal excitation)
whereas the p side will have a high concentration of holes and very few electrons. Due to this, a
process called diffusion takes place. In this process free electrons from the n side will diffuse
(spread) into the p side and combine with holes present there, leaving a positive immobile (not
moveable) ion in the n side. Hence, few atoms on the p side are converted into negative ions.
Similarly, few atoms on the n-side will get converted to positive ions. Due to this large number of
positive ions and negative ions will accumulate on the n-side and p-side respectively. This region
so formed is called as depletion region. Due to the presence of these positive and negative ions a
static electric field called as "barrier potential" is created across the p-n junction of the diode. It is
called as "barrier potential" because it acts as a barrier and opposes the further migration of holes
and electrons across the junction.
Video Presentation of Working Principle of Diode
In a PN junction diode when the forward voltage is applied i.e. positive terminal of a source is
connected to the p-type side, and the negative terminal of the source is connected to the n-type
side, the diode is said to be in forward biased condition. We know that there is a barrier potential
across the junction. This barrier potential is directed in the opposite of the forward applied voltage.
So a diode can only allow current to flow in the forward direction when forward applied voltage
is more than barrier potential of the junction. This voltage is called forward biased voltage. For
silicon diode, it is 0.7 volts. For germanium diode, it is 0.3 volts. When forward applied voltage is
more than this forward biased voltage, there will be forward current in the diode, and the diode
will become short circuited. Hence, there will be no more voltage drop across the diode beyond
this forward biased voltage, and forward current is only limited by the external
resistance">resistance connected in series with the diode. Thus, if forward applied voltage
increases from zero, the diode will start conducting only after this voltage reaches just above the
barrier potential or forward biased voltage of the junction. The time taken by this input voltage to
reach that value or in other words the time taken by this input voltage to overcome the forward
biased voltage is called recovery time.
Now if the diode is reverse biased i.e. positive terminal of the source is connected to the n-type
end, and the negative terminal of the source is connected to the p-type end of the diode, there will
be no current through the diode except reverse saturation current. This is because at the reverse
biased condition the depilation layer of the junction becomes wider with increasing reverse biased
voltage. Although there is a tiny current flowing from n-type end to p-type end in the diode due to
minority carriers. This tiny current is called reverse saturation current. Minority carriers are mainly
thermally generated electrons and holes in p-type semiconductor and n-type semiconductor
respectively. Now if reverse applied voltage across the diode is continually increased, then after
certain applied voltage the depletion layer will destroy which will cause a huge reverse current to
flow through the diode. If this current is not externally limited and it reaches beyond the safe value,
the diode may be permanently destroyed. This is because, as the magnitude of the reverse voltage
increases, the kinetic energy of the minority charge carriers also increase. These fast moving
electrons collide with the other atoms in the device to knock-off some more electrons from them.
The electrons so released further release much more electrons from the atoms by breaking the
covalent bonds. This process is termed as carrier multiplication and leads to a considerable increase
in the flow of current through the p-n junction. The associated phenomenon is called Avalanche
Breakdown.